Coffee Craving? Whatever Gets You Through the Night

Or the Day....

Come here my love!
Just like so many things - the cup may be chipped and imperfect
but what's inside is beautiful!
Macchiato from espresso a mano

If you are in the search for espresso perfection at home and when travelling, I understand.  When in doubt I travel with a hot plate and a stovetop espresso pot.  But most often I can find a spot, some great some not so much.

If you walk in a coffee shop and see a La Marzocco or Simonelli machine you are about to have great espresso.  These allow for creation of hand pulled espresso--The barista has control over pressure, amount of water and whether the shots are short (ristretto) or regular.

Some great spots:

Peppers All'Arancia

Super fast side dish but beautiful.  Sweet mini peppers cook quick and can be left whole--they also look even better when served on a platter.  Roast in the oven or prepare on the grill.

No mini sweets?  Use red, yellow and/or orange bell peppers cut in large chunks. 

Eggplant Lasagna

 

No Guilt but high with flavor...

This uses eggplant in place of the lasagna noodles, but you could also use zucchini or alternate layers of pasta and eggplant. 
This came about as I was looking in the refrigerator one day and saw some silken tofu remaining from another dish.  The tofu becomes the ricotta filling in this dish, but you could still use ricotta.  I always have enough tomatoes in the garden that I can some and freeze the rest.  But use any canned tomatoes you like, Muir Glen has some fire roasted tomatoes that would work well!

Cinnamon Stick Oatmeal

 

Back to Basics...

Because not every Sunday allows for a special breakfast, and sometimes it's just plain comforting to sit down and enjoy a bowl of oatmeal with a cup of coffee!
I've become hooked on cooking oatmeal with a cinnamon stick and vanilla and once you smell this as it is bubbling away on the stove you will too.

Trota Origanata con Patate al Forno

aka Rainy Day Trout

We do not stay in the lap of luxury when we are in Italy, and we like it that way.  Each time we go we make our way to the Molise region where my husbands family is from.  Once we arrive, it feels like home.  We love this off the beaten path, non-touristy area of Italy.  It is rugged and holds true to it’s traditions.  We stay at his fathers birth place, this home is 200+ years old, super thick stone walls.  No one stays there when it’s not summer.  Except us.  And one crazy October storm caught us unprepared.  The weather up until then had been warm and on top of that we had just come back after a few days in Positano (near Amalfi).  There we are in our shorts, going into a store, all warmth and sunshine outside.  We come out of the store and the wind is blowing the rain sideways, the temperature has dropped and we are jumping over mini lakes in the parking lot.  It stayed that way for days. By the way, the place we stay at—his dad’s house—no heat.  The thick walls, well they are retaining the cold.  Everyone we know there wants us to come stay with them but we buy a space heater, light a fire in the kitchen fireplace ,(which only keeps you warm if you are there all day to feed the fire), and get under covers when we are there.

It was with great appreciation that we accepted the invitation from his aunt (Zia Anna) to have at her agriturismo for dinner.  Oh it was warm, and she has a large woodburning stove for preparing food for her guests, and for things like pizza and this recipe.  Oh my, the deliciousness!  Some wine, some pecorino di sardo from her son-in-law, some hearth bread, and this fish served hot with potatoes and the best olive oil!  People all around enjoying food, talking and laughing….It makes me happy to think of it! 

Going to Italy in June? Here's a must see!

Our first trip to Italy together was for a month starting the first week of June.  Most of that trip was spent visiting family and the majority of our stay was in Molise and the surrounding regions.  Well, a quick trip north for a half marathon near in Jesolo Beach near Venice, and a trip south to the ruins of Pompeii.  Oh yes, and then there was Rimini, but I digress.  Back to the matter at hand...

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict

Happy Birthday Breakfast!  This is one you will make for a special occasion, it takes a bit of pre-planning and has a few steps.  Simple and can be modified in a multitude of ways, but not your workday breakfast.
I make the smoked salmon into a "bacon" by cooking it with just a touch of olive oil, smoked paprika and maple syrup to give it crunch and a golden color.

A real treat: duck eggs from your local farmers market....